1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method for making a printing blanket resulting from assembling a plurality of layers and a blanket thus obtained.
2. Background of the Invention
Blankets of this type, which are known, are manufactured by coating successive layers of elastomers on fabric reinforcements. These layers are dried, assembled and vulcanized. The materials used and the manufacturing methods for these blankets involve the use of chemical substances dangerous to man and to the environment, such as solvents, vulcanizing agents, plasticizers and the products of decomposition at the time of vulcanizing as well as carbon black. In fact, these products contain, in particular, carcinogenic or presumed carcinogenic substances, such as plasticizers, carbon black and products of decomposition; substances that are hazardous to reproductive health and mutagenic substances, such as vulcanizing agents; allergenic, noxious and inflammable substances such as solvents; and toxic and corrosive substances. In addition, the known blankets manufactured according to known methods have a rate of residual solvents, no matter what precautions are taken for drying by the manufacturers. These residual solvents can cause porosity and untimely settling in storage and in service. It should be noted that settling is one of the serious defects in the printing blankets. The printing blankets also have the disadvantage of developing vapors and odors which can be unpleasant for the users when stored in confined spaces. Finally, these printing blankets according to the prior art may be difficult to dispose of at the end of their service life due, especially, to their amounts of chlorine and sulfur.